Nick Degg to hand over the baton as city’s Poet Laureate

Stoke-on-Trent has named its new Poet Laureate and, for the first time, a Young Poet Laureate.

The successful candidates will follow in the footsteps of local poet Nick Degg, who was named Centenary Poet Laureate in October 2024.

The competition to find the new Poet Laureate and Young Poet Laureate – launched in March – was supported by Stoke-on-Trent Libraries. The judging panel included Nick Degg, Stoke-on-Trent’s Centenary Poet Laureate; Lois Bateman, Hub Manager for The National Literacy Trust in Stoke-on-Trent; Gabriella Gay, local author, poet, storyteller and director; Stephen Seabridge, inaugural Stoke-on-Trent Poet Laureate; and Brian Bilston, internationally acclaimed, prize-winning poet who found social-media fame as 'the unofficial poet of Twitter'.

The roles were created as part of the city’s Centenary celebrations and will continue as a lasting legacy, championing poetry and creative writing across Stoke-on-Trent.

Steven Beattie has been appointed as the new Stoke-on-Trent Poet Laureate and will take up the role in May 2026.

He was born and raised in Stoke on Trent and has a deep-rooted understanding of the city's rich industrial heritage which is vividly reflected in his poetry.

Cameron Hart has been appointed as the inaugural Stoke-on-Trent Young Poet Laureate and will take up this post in January 2026.

Cameron said: “Young people have wonderful minds, that have so much potential. I hold a firm belief in the idea that everyone should have a creative outlet in which they find calm, happiness and release.”

Nick Degg, the current Centenary Poet Laureate, said: “It’s great to know that the Council and Libraries are supporting and promoting the Poet Laureateship.

"It’s vital for aspiring poets to know that they will be given a platform to explore way beyond their normal circles. To have organisations, arts foundations and the like inviting you to be involved in projects is a wonderful way of expanding not just your writing skills, but to open doors you didn’t even know were there.

“Poetry is a magical art form, and the more people we can reach with our passion and enthusiasm, the better it will be for its future as a vibrant and important strand of literature.”

Councillor Sarah Hill - cabinet member for finance, anti-poverty and corporate services at Stoke-on-Trent City Council - said: “When we made Nick Degg our Centenary Poet Laureate, he said he’d get poetry everywhere and he absolutely has. This year he’s performed everywhere from a civic council meeting to the top of a fire engine in Burslem.

“He’s written poetry on everything from the Fenton Mace to all the things you can buy at Tunstall Market and he’s possibly the only poet who could get A-ha lead singer Morten Harket into a Centenary poem. I’m excited to see where our new Poet Laureate and Young Poet Laureate will take poetry in the city to next.”